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Friday, May 14, 2010

Flourless Chocolate Torte

There are people who need chocolate every day. I'm not one of them. I don't even want it every day. And we only eat dessert once or twice a week. Yet, I've posted a recipe for cherry chocolate cake, yammered on about making chocolate brownies, and now am inspired to share this recipe because of the flourless chocolate torte K brought home for my birthday last week. Go figure. I'll try for lighter fare in the future.

Just not today.

Decadent and delicious this low-carb, gluten-free torte is always a win with guests. Silky, rich, melt-in-your mouth goodness with only three ingredients. Don't blanch when I tell you they're butter, eggs and dark chocolate; a small slice will satisfy. A dusting of confectioner's sugar or a dollop of raspberry jam (maybe with a bit of rum or Grand Marnier stirred in) is a nice addition, but hardly necessary.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

4 large eggs, chilled

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate -- quality counts

4 ounces butter

Cut the butter into pieces. Coarsely chop the chocolate. Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Using the bottom of a nonstick cake pan, trace a circle on parchment paper and cut it out. Butter the cake pan, place the parchment circle on the bottom, and butter that. Start a kettle of water heating for the bain marie.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler (which in my house is a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water), stirring once in a while until smooth. Add the butter, and stir it into the chocolate as it melts. Remove from heat.

Beat the eggs at high speed for about 5 minutes until doubled in volume. Seems like a long time, but you want them really fluffy. Gently fold a third of the egg foam into the chocolate mixture until only a few streaks remain. Fold in the next third the same way. Fold in the last of the eggs just until there are no more streaks.

Spoon the batter into the cake pan and smooth the top. Place the pan in a large roasting pan or onto a high-sided baking sheet/jelly roll pan. Place on the middle rack of the preheated oven, and pour boiling water in the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. When done, the edges of the cake will pull slightly away from the pan, but the center will looked glazed and a bit underdone. Remove from the bain marie and allow to cool to room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 days, still in the pan.

Once the cake has chilled, invert the cake onto parchment paper, peel off the parchment on the bottom, and invert again onto a plate. It's fairly easy to handle when it's cold. Dust with cocoa powder or confectioner's sugar. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

I live in Colorado and write culinary and gardening mysteries as Bailey Cates, Bailey Cattrell, and Cricket McRae. Here you'll find a little book news, a lot of recipes, and musings on the writing life.